Fahd Mandel
}} Fahd Mandel is a goblin that appears in Might and Magic: The Sea of Mist. He has bulbous, penetrating eyes, and frog-green skin with patches of hair clinging to it. He has a mustache, a short goatee, and short-cropped black hair on his head. He is described as "cruelly handsome". Biography Fountain of power As a child, Mandel was abandoned at the Magistracy of Soronne by his prostitute mother. He showed a natural talent for the skills practiced at the Shadow Tower, and quickly climbed the ranks until he became the second-in-command. Eight years later, he still hadn't become Magistrate, and was beginning to become impatient. He eventually learned that he would never be the Magistrate, and despaired. One day, Mandel learned that the scholar Devlin Morely had found an ancient fountain under the nexus of the Magistracy. The scholar believed that the structure could grant someone the power of the gods, but the Magistrates dismissed his theories. Mandel asked him about it, and Devlin found comfort in the goblin's curiosity. While reluctant at first, he soon told Mandel everything he wanted to know, including the fact that there was a second magic fountain somewhere in the world. Lacking the military strength he would need to drain the fountain in peace, Mandel allied himself with Commander Lenik, a lizardman who was the second-in-command of the Circle of Steel. Like Mandel, Lenik had proven himself quite capable, and was wondering why he wasn't the Magistrate. Both of them were used to treachery, and had to set aside their suspicions for the partnership to work. Mandel had the knowledge about the fountain, while Lenik had an army of merceneries, and the strength to control them. While Lenik's forces began to search for the second fountain, Mandel made contact with a demon known as Sendark, who ravaged the seas aboard his floating city-island, the Demero. He knew the demon could not be trusted, but that didn't mean he couldn't be useful. He promised to supply Sendark with enough information to launch an attack on Soronne, and while the defenders of the city were busy, Lenik and Mandel would claim the fountain. Mandel no longer cared for either the Magistracy or Soronne. "Kill them all, then raise them up again and let them rot in service aboard one of your ships," he told Sendark. One day, Sendark told Mandel that he would launch his attack later that night, and that they should leave while they still could. Meanwhile, Lenik had discovered that the second fountain was located somewhere on the Isle of the Dead. Mandel and Lenik knew they didn't have the time to learn how to control the fountain under the Magistracy, so they decided to take Devlin prisoner and force him to help them. Lenik was worried that Devlin would resist, so Mandel suggested that they should also abduct his daughter Lissella. Either Devlin would yield when they threatened her, or they could ask her to attempt the spell - she was a very gifted student. After taking Devlin and Lissella prisoner, the two traitors put them under a sleep spell and led their mercenaries down to the fountain. They woke Devlin up, and when one of the minotaur guards held a knife to Lissella's throat, he immediately promised to do anything they said. Mandel handed him the spell. As Devlin began to chant, they heard a series of thunderous booms above, and realized that Sendark had launched his attack. Soon, the fountain began to glow, and a white, hazy fog filled the room. Lenik was hesitant and told Mandel that he'd wait, in case the goblin would need rescuing, but Mandel pointed out that there was only one moment where the powers could be claimed. They had to go in together, or only one of them would get the power. To Devlin's despair, Mandel told the guards that if this was a trick and they both died, they should kill Lissella. Shortly after entering the glowing water, the two traitors cried out in agony, feeling like they were being cooked alive. When they emerged a few seconds later, they had grown ten feet tall, and were filled with a strange power. Fearing that his masters had been slain, one of the minotaur guards cut Lissella's throat. Mandel backhanded the mercenary away and picked up Lissella as she died. Calmly, he placed his hand on her neck, and a bright light flowed out. When he removed his hand, the flesh was healed, and her heart was beating again. He glared down at the minotaur, telling him that he'd been told to wait until they were dead. The minotaur grumbled that "You looked dead to me," so Mandel reduced him to ash with a blast of gold beams from his eyes. "No," he intoned. "That's dead." Lenik's mercenaries had now entered combat with the arriving city guard. Lenik suggested that they should leave immediately, but Mandel laughed madly, telling him that no one had the power to stop them now. Lenik wasn't so sure that they could stand against the combined might of the Magistrates, and in the end, Mandel agreed. He opened a portal to the Isle of the Dead, but before they could step through it, Magistrate Bo arrived. He attempted to stop the two traitors, but Mandel proved more powerful, and he threw the old man into the wall with a force that broke most of his bones. As Bo fell to the floor, mortally wounded, the two traitors and their mercenaries stepped through the portal, taking their prisoners with them. Isle of the Dead They stayed in the keep on the island while they searched for the second fountain. Mandel was ecstatic about their transformation, but Lenik was beginning to regret their actions. They could no longer blend into a crowd, and were unable to spend the gold they'd gotten from Sendark. Soronne hadn't fallen to Sendark's attack, and he had now begun a long siege of the city. This meant that Soronne's survivors could be out there looking for them, as could Sendark's forces - the demon was notoriously cruel, and might be holding them accountable for his inability to take the city. But Mandel was calm; no one knew where they were, and even if they did, the two of them were more than powerful enough to deal with anyone that tried to attack. He grinned madly as waves of euphoria raked him savagely. They soon spotted one of Sendark's ship approaching, and the death knight Clavis approached the keep. He told them that Sendark was very grateful for their aid, and he'd been sent to provide any assistance he could give. In addition, he would send patrol ships around the island to keep them safe, since the survivors of Soronne might come after them. Mandel knew that the death knight was actually sent to spy on them, but since he no longer feared either Clavis or his master, he allowed it. The two entered the tunnels, followed by their guards and prisoners. After Mandel had another of his mad fits, Devlin coldly told him he would die. "You didn't prepare your body to accept the power given you by the first fountain. Can't you feel your mind slipping, Mandel?" Mandel's eyes went dark, so Lenik stepped between them, afraid that Mandel would kill Devlin before he'd unlocked the second fountain. Mandel's eyes instantly softened, and he told Lenik that there was no reason to be afraid - he knew what he was doing. As the group drew closer to the second fountain, Devlin used magic to cast his mind out of his body and contact someone that could stop the two demigods. He soon located the Crimson Raptor, Captain Jarrell's ship, which had been sent out to rescue the Morelys and stop the traitors. He managed to contact Noleta Mareldi, a witch aboard the ship, and helped her set the ship on the correct course. But Mandel discovered what he was up to, and when Devlin attempted to send his mind back to the ship, Mandel broke his neck. "You're dead, old man," he whispered. Lenik roared angrily, telling Mandel that they needed Devlin for the ritual. The goblin replied that all they needd was a trained wizard, and they still had Lissella. The second fountain They soon found the fountain floating above a great abyss, with no visible means of accessing it. They woke up Lissella, and told her that if she helped them reach the fountain, they'd let her live. She didn't trust them, but decided to play along for now. She cast the spell Mandel gave her, and soon, a bridge of light appeared. With the power of the first fountain, the two traitors were able to walk on it, while the mercenaries remained behind with Lissella. Soon, Jarrell and the other heroes entered the cavern, and they began to battle Lenik's mercenaries. They soon discovered that they were unable to follow the two traitors on the light bridge - if they tried to place their foot on it, it sank through. However, Praz-El was able to use his magic to pull some boulders down from the ceiling and make them float in the air, and began to jump from rock to rock in order to reach the fountain. With the power of the second fountain now coursing through them, Mandel was too overwhelmed by merriment and madness to put up much of a fight, so he told Lenik to kill him. Praz-El was unable to defeat the lizardman in battle, so he destroyed the gem at the center of the fountain. This broke the fountain's power, and it began to fall into the chasm below. Praz-El managed to jump back to the floating rocks and escape, but the two demigods were too slow. However, as the two traitors were on their way down, Sendark used his powers to transport them away. On the cusp of their arriving godhood, they were full of power, and Sendark kept them preserved in a tank of magical seawater. Unable to move, Lenik pleaded with him to release them, while Mandel could only cackle madly. As a demon, Sendark could never have taken the fountain's power for himself, but now that it was contained, he could search for a way to transfer it to himself. Personality Mandel was a very brave and ambitious goblin, and quickly took on a leadership role in his alliance with Lenik. He was sadistic, and eagerly used any opportunity to hurt others. Despite this, he was incredibly loyal to his alliance with Lenik, making sure that Lenik always got his share of the reward, though Lenik still didn't trust him completely. It's possible that Mandel viewed Lenik as a friend. Category:The Sea of Mist characters